100 American Fern Journal 



green and showing the veins more plainly than in 

 the broad leaf form. Lower surface, whitish green 

 and smooth except the midvein which has many 

 long, scattered, colorless hairs. Lowest pinnae 

 compound with one or two pairs of pinnules in 



every way like the simple pinnae. 



(b. 1.) Simple pinnae, cordate to ovate or ellipti- 

 cal, up to 8 x 15 mm. Margin, plane with a wider 

 (.5 mm.) membranaceous border. Apex, broadly 

 rounded to emarginate; base cordate or clasping. 

 Pinnae crowded or overlapping, blue-glaucous above, 

 smooth and slightly lighter green below. Lower 

 pinnae lobed or pinnate with orbicular or cordate 

 pinnules, sometimes short stalked. 



Scales at Base: 



(1. 1.) Linear, two to ten cells wide at base and 

 • extending into very long and slender tips, colorless 

 or yellow, rusty in mass. 



(b. 1.) Linear-lanceolate, ten to twenty cells wide 

 at base, without the long slender tips, orange to 

 b i own in color. 



Spores : 



(I. 1.) 47-62 ;x x 58-78^., ovoid, with a few promi- 

 nent, uneven ridges, giving the spores a ragged 

 appearance. 



(b. 1.) 58-78 ix x 79-109 pi, obscurely tetrahedral, 

 with numerous slight ridges, appearing almost 

 smooth and darker than the (1. 1.) form. 

 Culture experiments are now in progress to determine 

 whether or not there are differences in gametophytic 

 structure. The results of these will be reported later. 

 The original descriptions are not available here, but 

 taking Eaton's description as a basis it se^ms that the 

 (I. 1.) form is nearer the type, varying from the descrip- 

 tion in the acute tips of the fertile pinnae, the longer 



